US3910338A

US3910338A - Double folding partition

Info

Publication number: US3910338A
Application number: US428942A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eskild Pontoppidan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-09
Filing date: 1973-12-27
Publication date: 1975-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-07
Also published as: DE2364694A1; JPS49102138A; DE2364694B2; GB1433798A; SE396979B; DK141343C; DK141343B

Abstract

In a double folding partition comprising two sets of interhinged panel elements, the hinge axis at one vertical edge of each panel element of each set is situated substantially in the plane of or outside the panel element surface remote from the other set of elements, whereas the hinge axis at the opposite vertical edge of each panel element is spaced at least the thickness of the panel element from the other surface thereof, i.e. toward the other set of panel elements.

Description

'United States Patent 1191 Pontoppidan 1 Oct. 7, 1975 [54] DOUBLE FOLDING PARTITION 2,717,033 9/1955 Breslow et al. 160/199 X [761 Inventor: Eskfld Ponwppidan, 92 Langs 52335213 2/1323 211255.?T.i.1111"" 111312113315 Hegnet, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark 3,599,702 8/1971 Bedard 160/84 R Dec. 6t .1 [21] Appl' 428942 Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Jan. 9, 1973 Denmark 102/73 In a double foldmg part1t10n comprlsmg two sets of 1n- 52 U.S. c1 160/199- 160/206 terhinged Panel elements the hinge axis at one 51 1111.01. E06B 3/48- E 06B 3/46 edge of each Panel element each Set is Situated [58] Field of Search 160/84 R 84 84 L 232 substantially in the plane of or outside the panel elel60/199 206 118 17 ment' surface remote from the other set of elements, whereas the hinge axis at the opposite vertical edge of [56] References Cited each panel element is spaced at least the thickness of the panel element from the other surface thereof, i.e. UNITED STATES PATENTS toward the other set of panel elements, 1,858,801 5/1932 Bolard 160/196 D UX 2,350,094 5/1944 Butts 160/84 R 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet10f4' 3,910,338

FIG. I

FIG. 2

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of4 3,910,338

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,910,338

DOUBLE FOLDING PARTITION The invention relates to a double folding partition of the known type comprising two sets of panels in which the panels are hinged together pairwise at their vertical side edges and are suspended in such a way that they are movable as a whole between an unfolded position or plane position, in which the two sets of panels have an intermediate space between them, and a folded posi tion in which the panels have been turned about 90 around vertical axes, reckoned from the plane position, and pushed together against each other in each set.

For years, folding partitions have been used for the variable partitioning of rooms, particularly in buildings used for hotel and restaurant activities, but are increasingly gaining ground also in private residences. A serious problem in connection with folding partitions is that at one and the same time they are to posess a comparatively small weight, out of regard to their being easily manoeuvred, and be sufficiently sound-proof in the plane position or closed position. These two regards are not directly compatible since in the case of folding partitions consisting of only one set of panels the sound insulation requires that the individual panels of the set have a considerable thickness and weight.

The endeavours to achieve a higher degree of sound insulation comprise the employment of double folding partitions, that is to say folding partitions consisting of two sets of panels which in the plane position form a sound absorbing intermediate space and which can be folded in an accordion-like way. In a prior art construction of this type, each side of the double folding partition consists of a number of pairwise associated panels which are hinged together along their adjoining vertical side edges and at the remaining vertical side edges are hinged to supporting columns which, while maintaining their vertical position, are displaceable along ceiling and floor rails. In order that the manufacture and mounting of the folding partition as well as its manoeuvring should not become too difficult, the said columns are common to the two partition sides or the two sets of panel elements, and due to this it cannot be avoided that the columns to an essential degree reduce the sound insulating effect of the folding partition, since the columns create sound bridges between the two partition sides in the plane position. In certain cases, the prior art construction involves the additional drawback that in its folded position the folding partition has a depth or thickness exceeding twice the width of each panel.

The double folding partition according to the invention differs from the prior art technique explained above in that the two sets of panels are suspended from parallel running and guiding rails, the spacing between which is less than the width of the panels, and in that the axis of every other edge hinge in each set of panels is located substantially in the plane of or outside the outer surface of the panels, while the axes of the re maining edge hinges are displaced a distance, corresponding to at least the thickness of the panel, inwardly from the inner surface of the panels, each inwardly displaced edge hinge in each set of panels being opposite to an outside edge hinge in the other set of panels.

In this case, the two sides or two sets of panels of the folding partition may have no sound-transmitting connection at all with each other, and when the partition is being folded from the plane position the panels of one set can slide partially in between the panels of the other set, so that the total depth or thickness of the folded partition need not be very much larger than the width of one panel.

The invention will now be more fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of part of a folding partition according to the invention and with parts of one set of panels omitted, a horizontal section of the partition being entered,

FIG. 2 shows a broken, vertical section through the partition in its plane position, the left-hand side of the section showing the partition in a lower, stabilized position while the right-hand side shows the partition raised preparatory to being pushed together or folded together,

FIG. 3 shows part of a horizontal section through the partition while it is being folded,

FIG. 4 shows a corresponding section through the partition after it has been folded completely and FIG. 5 shows one-half of a section on a considerably larger scale through the upper frame of the folding partition.

In the embodiment of the double folding partition shown in the drawings the partition is surrounded by a frame consisting of a bottom part 1, a top part 2 and two side parts 3. As shown, each of these frame parts may be composed of two substantially uniform components between which an air gap 4 is left to prevent or counteract the transmission of sound through the various frame parts.

The folding partition proper consists of two sets of

rectangular panels

5 and 6 which form one and the other side, respectively, of the folding partition in its plane position, FIG. 1, and which in each set are hinged together along their vertical side edges, as appears most clearly from FIGS. 3 and 4. The edge hinges 7a and 7b used for this purpose may be so-called piano lid hinges or may be constituted by likewise well-known strip hinges of a suitable plastics material. The hinges 717 have their axes located substantially in the plane of the outer surface of the associated

panels

5 or 6, while the hinges 7a are placed in such a way that, reckoned from the inner surface of the panels, their axes are displaced a distance inwardly corresponding approximately to the thickness of each panel. Hereby the

panels

5 and 6 are enabled to be folded closely face to face in the folded position of the partition, see FIG. 4.

Each

panel

5 or 6 is rotatable around a vertical axis which coincides with or lies in the vicinity of the vertical centre line of the panel and which is determined by a lower guide pin 8, which engages an associated bottom rail 9 for the set of panels in question, and a bogie 10 which runs in an upper running and guiding rail 11, see particularly FIG. 5. The two running and guiding rails 11 are secured to a common support 12 which rests on an inflatable length of tube 13 inserted in the top part 2 of the frame. In FIG. 5 and in the right-hand side of FIG. 2 the length of tube 13 is shown inflated, for instance by means of compressed air supplied from a compressor, not shown, via a pipe 14, FIG. 1. The support 12 with the two running rails 11 is hereby raised so much that the

panels

5 and 6 suspended from the running rails are raised Clear of the lower frame part 1 so that the bogies 10 enable the two sets of

panels

5 and 6 to be displaced and turned so to speak unimpededly. When the pressure fluid is allowed to es cape from the length of tube 13, the support 12 and thereby the folding partition proper will be lowered until the

panels

5 and 6 rest with their bottom edges on the frame bottom part 1, see the left-hand side of FIG. 2, and consequently are stabilized in the position set, usually either the plane position or the completely folded position. As a rule, the weight of the folding partition will be sufficient for bringing about the downward movement but, as shown in FIG. 5 and indicated in FIG. 1, there may between the top side of the support 12 and the lower side of the supporting element 15 of the frame top side be inserted an additional inflatable length of tube 16.

In order to improve the sound insulation at the frame top part 2 flexible sealing strips 17 as shown in FIG. 5 may be inserted between the support 12 and the element 15.

For the stabilization of the folding partition in its completely folded position, FIG. 4, as well as in its plane position, FIG. I, serve elastic cords 18 or similar spring means, each of which connects two

opposed panels

5 and 6 and is fixed thereto at points which are located between the vertical axes of rotation or bogie axes of the panels in question and their inwardly displaced edge hinges 7a. Irrespective whether the partition is to be folded from the plane position shown in FIG. 1 or is to be unfolded from the face-to-face position in FIG. 4, there will during the first part of the movement occur a stretching of the cords l8, and this means that these cords tend to secure the folding partition in the two said positions.

The pairwise

opposite panels

5 and 6 of the two sets of panels, or at least some of these pairs of panels, are furthermore interconnected via flexible, substantially unextensible cords 19, the points of fixation of which on the panels are located so to be opposite to each other and in the vicinity of the side edges of the panels, the length of the cords being slightly longer than the distance between these points of fixation in the plane position of the folding partition, FIG. I. The purpose of these cords 19 is to co-ordinate the movements of the two sets of panels during the unfolding and folding operations as well as to transmit the movement over the full width of the partition. Thus, supposing that an inwardly directed (in the drawing downwardly directed) pressure be exerted at the edge hinge designated by 7b in the horizontal section in FIG. 1, a clockwise rotation around the vertical centre line will be imparted directly to the panel designated by 5, and via the cord 19 at the left-hand side edge of the said panel the panel designated by 6 and associated with the other set of panels will be forced to perform a corresponding rotation, etc.

I claim:

1. A double folding panel structure comprising two sets of rectangular panels that are all of the same width,

hinge means connecting the adjoining vertical edges of the panels of each set of panels in such a way that both sets of panels are movable between an extended position in which the panels of each set of panels are substantially co-planar and are in generally opposed, parallel laterally spaced relation to the panels of the other set of panels, and a retracted position in which the panels of each set are each rotated substantially about vertical axes and are sandwiched between the panels of the other set, and suspension means for each of said sets of panels, said suspension means including a pair of guiding rails mounted in parallel relation and laterally spaced from one another a distance less than said width of the respective panels, a plurality of runners mounted on and movable along each of said rails, said runners each being connected to a panel of one of said sets of panels so as to permit the movement thereof between said extended and retracted positions, each intermediate panel of each set of panels being connected to one adjoining panel by a hinge of a first type, the axis of which is spaced at least a distance corresponding to the thickness of a panel inwardly from the inner surface of the panel, and to the other adjoining panel by a hinge of a second type, the axis of which is spaced outwardly from said inner surface at least a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels, each hinge of said first type incorporated in one of said sets of panels being opposite to a hinge of said second type incorporated in the other set of panels.

2. A double folding panel structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one pair of opposite panels of either of said sets of panels are interconnected by means of a resiliently extensible cord means, the ends of which are fixed to each of said opposite panels at points located between said vertical tilting axis and said first type hinge of said panels.

3. A double folding panel structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one pair of opposite panels of either of said sets of panels are interconnected by means of a flexible and substantially inextensible cord means having a length that is slightly longer than the lateral spacing of said sets of panels in their extended position, the ends of said cord means being fixed to either of said panels at points which are opposite to each other in said extended position and are located in the vicinity of a pair of vertical side edges of said panels.

4. A double folding panel structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of parallel guiding rails are vertically movable between a lower non-supporting position in which said sets of panels rest immobilized on a bottom support, and an upper supporting position in which said sets of panels are raised clear of said bottom support.

5. The double folding panel structure as defined in claim 4, further comprising means for simultaneously moving said pair of parallel guiding rails between said lower and said upper positions.

Claims

1. A double folding panel structure comprising two sets of rectangular panels that are all of the same width, hinge means connecting the adjoining vertical edges of the panels of each set of panels in such a way that both sets of panels are movable between an extended position in which the panels of each set of panels are substantially co-planar and are in generally opposed, parallel laterally spaced relation to the panels of the other set of panels, and a retracted position in which the panels of each set are each rotated substantially 90* about vertical axes and are sandwiched between the panels of the other set, and suspension means for each of said sets of panels, said suspension means including a pair of guiding rails mounted in parallel relation and laterally spaced from one another a distance less than said width of the respective panels, a plurality of runners mounted on and movable along each of said rails, said runners each being connected to a panel of one of said sets of panels so as to permit the movement thereof between said extended and retracted positions, each intermediate panel of each set of panels being connected to one adjoining panel by a hinge of a first type, the axis of which is spaced at least a distance corresponding to the thickness of a panel inwardly from the inner surface of the panel, and to the other adjoining panel by a hinge of a second type, the axis of which is spaced outwardly from said inner surface at least a distance corresponding to the thickness of the panels, each hinge of said first type incorporated in one of said sets of panels being opposite to a hinge of said second type incorporated in the other set of panels.